Installation Method for Bucket Tooth Bolts and Nuts

Preparation Work

1. Clean and Inspect Components
   Check the integrity of the bucket teeth, tooth holders, bolts and nuts to ensure there is no deformation, cracking or thread damage. Use a wire brush or high-pressure air gun to remove soil, rust and gravel from the contact surfaces of the tooth holders and bucket teeth, as well as from the bolt holes, to prevent impurities from affecting the fit.
2. Prepare Tools
   Prepare socket wrenches, torque wrenches and hammers of the corresponding models according to the bolt specifications, along with anti-loosening components (spring washers, thread-locking adhesive or split pins, depending on the equipment design).

Positioning and Pre-installation

1. Align the bucket tooth with the slot of the tooth holder, ensuring that the positioning pin holes of the tooth and the tooth holder are perfectly aligned. Gently tap the side of the bucket tooth to achieve a tight fit between the two parts (place a wooden block during tapping to avoid damaging the tooth body).
2. Insert the bolt from the inner side of the bucket to the outer side, making sure the bolt shank is coaxial with the hole. Then put on the spring washer (if equipped), screw on the nut, and tighten the nut by hand until it fits snugly—do not fully tighten it at this stage.

Tightening Operation

1. Use a socket wrench to initially tighten the nut, ensuring the contact surface between the bucket tooth and the tooth holder is fully fitted with no gaps.
2. Switch to a torque wrench and perform the final tightening according to the torque value specified in the equipment manual (torque varies with bolt specifications; for example, an M20 bolt typically requires a torque of 150–200 N·m—always follow the manufacturer’s parameters). Avoid under-tightening, which may cause loosening and falling off, or over-tightening, which can lead to bolt breakage.

Anti-loosening Treatment (Critical Step)

1. For thread-locking adhesive design
   Apply a special thread-locking adhesive (e.g., Loctite 243) to the bolt threads before installation. Once cured, it can effectively prevent loosening caused by vibration.
2. For split pin design
   After tightening, insert a split pin into the pin hole at the end of the bolt, then bend both ends of the pin 90° to prevent the nut from rotating.
3. If no additional anti-loosening components are available
   Install a spring washer, which uses its elasticity to offset the gap caused by vibration.

Inspection and Acceptance

1. After installation, shake the bucket tooth to confirm there is no looseness; check that the bolt heads and nuts are flatly fitted against the contact surfaces.
2. After a test operation of the equipment (e.g., several cycles of digging soil), shut down the machine and recheck the tightness of the nuts—retighten if necessary.

Notes

1. Never replace dedicated high-strength bolts with ordinary bolts. Bucket operations involve high impact loads, and dedicated bolts have higher tensile strength; ordinary bolts are prone to breakage, which may cause safety accidents.
2. For multi-tooth buckets, tighten the bolts symmetrically and alternately (similar to tightening wheel bolts) to avoid deformation of the tooth holder due to uneven unilateral stress.
3. Regular inspection: Check the tightness of the bolts every 2–3 days during operation, especially under working conditions involving gravel and heavy loads. Stop the machine immediately for maintenance if any loosening is detected.